Saturday 25 May 2019

#Qatar says economic conditions for Israeli-Palestinian peace require 'fair political solutions' - Reuters

Qatar says economic conditions for Israeli-Palestinian peace require 'fair political solutions' - Reuters:

Qatar said on Friday that economic development needed for Israeli-Palestinian peace could not be achieved without “fair political solutions” acceptable to Palestinians, referring to a U.S. plan set to be unveiled next month. 


The White House will lay out the first part of President Donald Trump’s long-awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace plan when it holds an international conference in Bahrain in late June.

The plan, touted by Trump as the “deal of the century,” is expected to encourage investment in the West Bank and Gaza Strip by Arab donor countries before grappling with thorny political issues at the heart of the conflict.

Trump Bypasses Congress Over #Saudi Arms, Sparking Lawmakers' Ire - Bloomberg

Trump Bypasses Congress Over Saudi Arms, Sparking Lawmakers' Ire - Bloomberg:

The Trump administration is bypassing Congress to approve the sale of more than $2 billion in weapons to Saudi Arabia, citing a rarely used provision in the Arms Export Control Act despite bipartisan objections by lawmakers.

The provision lets President Donald Trump circumvent the normal process for congressional approval by declaring an emergency that requires the sales to go through immediately “in the national security interests of the United States.” Secretary of State Michael Pompeo cited the threat from Iran as justification, but said in a later statement that he viewed the decision “to be a one-time event.” Lawmakers were upset regardless.

“I am disappointed, but not surprised, that the Trump administration has failed once again to prioritize our long term national security interests or stand up for human rights, and instead is granting favors to authoritarian countries like Saudi Arabia,” Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement Friday.